hindustani fanatics, india's pashtuns, and deobandism – connections

Hindustani Fanatics, India’s Pashtuns, and Deobandism – Connectionsthe British forced the “Hindustani Fanatics” to retreat further into more inaccessible areas in Dir, Swat, and Bajaur. Driven from Sitani, they movedtheir colony to Chamarkand 71 in southern Bajaur agency.The death of Sayed Ahmad Shah was a true disaster for his movement since there was no other leader available to replace him. Additionally,there were questions regarding the legality of the war in the absence of the “Caliph,” but Wilayat Ali, one of the sons of a member of the six-manleadership council of the Wahhabi movement in Patna, developed – or implemented – a plan that resulted in a pamphlet claiming that Sayed AhmadShah had not died, but “had been ordered by God Almighty to spend some time in the mountains in silent prayers and a forty-day fast. People couldactually go and see him, ‘like the bright sun illuminating the universe.’’’ 72From the keenly observant Charles Allen:“It appears to have been Wilyat Ali who first grasped the significance of the doubts emerging about their leader’s death, and who made the firstpublic announcements of his survival. He then let it be known that he himself had heard Syed Ahmad foretell his disappearance some years earlierin a sermon. Now he could report the glad tidings that their beloved master was indeed alive and well, but that God, displeased by the faint-heartedresponse of the Muslims to His prophet’s call to arms, had withdrawn him from the eyes of men. Their Imam and Amir ul-Momineen was even nowhidden in a cave in the Buner mountains, waited on by his two faithful disciples. Only when his followers had proved their faith by uniting once moreto renew the jihad would their lost leader reappear. He would them manifest himself as padshah 73 and lead them to victory against the unbelievers.“This was, in essence, a retread of the Shi’a version of the Imam-Mahdi story, in which the Hidden Imam absented himself from the sight ofman in a cave in the mountains, awaiting the summons of the faithful to make himself known as King of the West.” 74This story was quite durable and Wilayat Ali was actively preaching and converting additional Indian Muslims to his followers. In 1839 hewas preaching in Hyderabad where he received support from the city’s noble families. Not many years passed before the British were driven fromAfghanistan and following their January 1842 retreat from Kabul in which a single officer, a physician, survived to arrive at Jalalabad, the opportunityarrived once again for Wilayat Ali to make his move. Letters were received in Patna summoning the faithful to rally in Buner where the holy warwould be continued. It was during this phase of the Fanatic’s history that they were joined by non-Pashtuns from eastern India in their revolts. Britishcommentators described the capture of smaller, darker men on their way to Sittana and these were probably the result of the widespread preachingdone in Bengal by Wilayat Ali. Interestingly, the final survivors later split into two groups, possibly following ethnic lines.The letters were obviously the work of Wilayat Ali and Charles Allen discussed their impact and some failed theatrics that also occurred in aneffort to maintain the Iman-Mahdi story of Sayed Ahmad Shah:71. Spain, pg. 88. Chamarkand is situated in Bajaur, FATA., Pakistan, its geographical coordinates are 34° 41’ 23” North, 71° 13’ 20” East and its original name (withdiacritics) is Kūz Chamarkand.72. Hafeez Malik, pg. 185.73. Title of monarch.74. Allen, pg. 98.Tribal Analysis Center, 6610-M Mooretown Road, Box 159. Williamsburg, VA, 23188